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Meninga backs USC student teachers
University of the Sunshine Coast preservice teachers will have Queensland rugby league icon Mal Meninga onside when he visits the campus on Wednesday 9 March to expand an Indigenous education program.
State of Origin’s highest Queensland point-scorer and most successful coach will talk about ARTIE, the Achieving Results Through Indigenous Education program, at an official welcome from 10am to noon at the Uni Club.
The event will include speeches by Mal Meninga, Former Origin Greats (FOGS) Education Programs CEO Steve Nance and Kawana Waters State College representatives Anne Allen and Ann Dale, who will discuss implementation and results of the ARTIE program so far.
ARTIE was successfully trialled late last year at Kawana Waters State College using a group of USC Education students as volunteer mentors and supported by high-profile sports stars such as Steve Price.
It is a joint initiative of the Australian Government and FOGS operating in seven Brisbane state high schools and one so far on the Sunshine Coast.
Mr Nance said FOGS board member Mal Meninga was among a group of players and former players offering encouragement and advice to Indigenous high school students under the program this year.
“We’ve had an amazing response from the University of the Sunshine Coast for volunteer tutors,” Mr Nance said.
“We’ve placed about 25 of the 70 interested USC Education students at Kawana Waters State College this semester and will hopefully place more in schools around Caboolture.”
The mentors, students and sports stars undertake activities that reward attendance as well as academic, cultural and sporting achievements and involve e-learning, visits and workshops.
USC Head of Education, Associate Professor Debbie Heck said positive feedback from the Kawana trial had prompted more preservice teachers to sign up.
Dr Heck said it was a fantastic opportunity for the University students to broaden their experience in different education settings.
“Preservice teachers in this project gain access to cultural training and develop the skills to work in one-on-one environments to support Indigenous learners,” she said.
“This sort of engagement, in addition to supervised placements, is important for the development of quality teachers at USC.”
– Julie Gatehouse